I’ve been on the pasta train lately, there’s been a lot going on and I’ve just been craving comforting dishes which for me is carbs. I found these cute little noodles at Trader Joe’s on the imported from Italy section called Gigli. This reminded me of pasta I had in Italy because it’s simple and the pasta was al dente and had just enough flavor to coat the noodles. The portobellos were so flavorful, and the mix of balsamic and spices give it just enough to have a balanced sauce. You only need a few ingredients to make this meal and I added some baked zucchini for more veggies.

Portobello Ragu

1 bag gigli pasta (or whatever you want)

4 large portobellos, diced

2 shallots, diced

4 tsbp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp rosemary

1/2 tsp thyme

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute diced mushrooms and shallots over medium heat until tender and add in garlic until fragrant.
2. Add in spices and balsamic and mix to combine.
3. Cook pasta al dente and before draining, add a ladle full of pasta water to mushroom ragu.
4. Combine pasta with ragu and stir to combine.

Italian Spiced Zucchini

2 zucchini, halved and sliced lengthwise

Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, pepper, oregano.

Bake on 400* for 20 minutes and serve on the side.